Juvenile to be tried as adult in moped robbery case

The case of a juvenile accused of two armed robberies of mopeds in New London in July has been transferred to the adult docket and will be tried in the major crimes court.

Peter Gibson-Huff, of 53 Prest St., who has turned 18 since the July 13 incident, is being held at the Manson Youth Institution in lieu of a $150,000 bond on charges of first-degree robbery, fifth-degree larceny and fourth-degree larceny. Gibson-Huff appeared Wednesday before Judge Hillary B. Strackbein, who granted prosecutor David J. Smith’s motion to transfer the case from juvenile court to the adult docket due to the serious nature of the charges.

Attorney Kevin C. Barrs from the public defender’s office is representing Gibson-Huff, who has pleaded not guilty. His next court date is Oct. 10.

According to a police report, a male victim and passenger were driving a scooter on Ashcraft Road at about 12:40 a.m. on July 13 when an SUV began following them “extremely closely.” The scooter driver pulled over twice to let the vehicle pass, but the vehicle continued following them and pulled up next to them.

Gibson-Huff got out of the back seat of the SUV, walked in front of the scooter and pulled a silver revolver from his waistband, according to the report. He demanded that the scooter riders get off the bike, climbed on it and fled.

A short time later, Gibson-Huff and two others allegedly robbed two men of another moped at the Wendy’s restaurant on Colman Street. The victims said that after they refused a request to let the teens ride their scooters, one of the males — later identified by police as Gibson-Huff — pulled out what appeared to be a silver revolver and started yelling at them to give them their scooters. One of the victims complied, while the other pretended he couldn’t start his scooter.

New London police arrested all three men within a short time of the incident.

The cases of Hassan Foster-Carney, 18, of 320 Central Ave., Norwich, and Dwayne Miller, 18, of 26 Jefferson Ave., New London, also are pending in the major crimes court. They are both free on bond.

— Karen Florin

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